A sudden explosion at a Tennessee bomb factory has left 16 dead, according to authorities, as images of the subsequent devastation depict a tragic event that still has no explanation.
Videos by Suggest
As reported by The Washington Post, the incident occurred on Saturday, October 11. At around 7:45 a.m., at Accurate Energetic Systems, an explosive manufacturing plant in McEwen, a blast leveled at least one building and sent debris flying hundreds of yards.
The explosion was felt hundreds of miles away. Resident Gentry Strover told The Associated Press, “I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it. I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”
According to Reuters, 18 people were initially presumed dead, with The Post reporting on 19 people unaccounted for. However, two to three people were actually someplace else entirely. Authorities initially believed they had been at the scene, given the presence of their vehicles and personal belongings.
16 Confirmed Dead
During a Saturday night press conference, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis confirmed that 16 were killed as a result of the blast. There were no survivors, and this has profoundly affected the local community.
“There’s a lot of people hurting. A lot of people who are crying a lot of tears,” pastor Tim Farris said during a vigil, NPR reported. “We are sad that our community is going through this.”
Currently, the cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Sheriff Davis detailed that it could be months before authorities rule out foul play. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is at the bomb factory performing DNA analysis.
Brice McCracken, in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ National Center for Explosives Training and Research, confirmed that members of the national response team arrived at McEwan to assist in the investigation, The Post reported.
“We’re working to mitigate hazards that are just on the site so we can begin actually working the scene,” McCracken said. “It’s going to take time to get to the actual facility where they were working with explosive materials.”
Accurate Energetic Systems issued a brief statement addressing the tragedy on its website.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, coworkers, and community members affected by this incident,” the plant said. “We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions.”